I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I found a reason for me
To change how I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
-The Reason, Hoobastank

Erica entered the living room, carrying a tray with two cups of hot tea. Setting it down on the table, she handed one to Kendall and then took the other one into her hand. After taking a tentative sip, she smiled slightly at her eldest daughter. "So, is everything a go?"

"Yes," Kendall nodded. "Bianca thinks she's meeting me at the boathouse in an hour. What about Maggie?"

"I told her I was at the park with Miranda and needed to leave for an emergency production meeting. So, she also thinks I'm meeting her at the boathouse in an hour."

"Well then, is it safe to say, mission accomplished?"

Erica shrugged her shoulders. "For now, I'm guessing."

They spent the next few minutes sipping their tea, going back and forth with small talk about Spike and Miranda. Every now and then, they'd laugh as Kendall regaled Erica with the joys of motherhood.

Erica took one last sip of tea before placing the near empty cup on the table. "Kendall, do you mind me asking what you told Bianca?"

"I told her, plain and simple to stop being a brat and forgive Maggie," earning a befuddled look from Erica. "What? I told Bianca to take Maggie back before she loses her forever." Not receiving the reply she was expecting, Kendall became concerned. "Mother, I know that look. What did you tell Maggie?"

"She and I had a long talk about what love is. And then I told her to think about what it means when she says 'I love you' to Bianca. I urged her to reflect on what has happened in their relationship and…" Erica's voice trailed. Her gaze fell slightly, realizing the plan to bring the girls back together may have just backfired. "Oh, Kendall…"

"What? What?"

"Instead of helping them, I think we only made matters worse."

--

The snow crunched under her feet as she approached her destination. Sitting down on the cement bench, she wrapped her arms around her body and stared at the headstone in front of her. A tear escaped from her eye as she tried to smile while heaving a deep sigh.

"Hi Grandma," she whispered, reaching forward to run her fingers along the weathered surface.

--

Maggie walked about her room, grabbing the loose articles of clothing laying around and folding them with her free hand while simultaneously talking on the phone. "Okay. Okay. Thanks… yeah, I owe you one. No, really. I'm going to repay you somehow," she said, packing her blouse into the corner of her suitcase. "Yeah, I know what I need to do. Uh huh, okay. I'll see you when I get back," swallowing the lump in her throat. "You, too."

She pushed her phone into her pocket and turned around. Glancing at the clock, she grabbed her coat and room key. Taking a deep breath, she walked out the door with the intention of making the best of her afternoon with Miranda.

--

"I know I haven't been by here in a long while and I'm sorry about that," Bianca spoke. A slight winter breeze blew around her as she kept her eyes on Mona's headstone. "I know you understand why it was hard for me to visit you last time, then again, when have you not been understanding?" pausing to gather her thoughts. "Miranda's growing up fast, you know. And she definitely takes after Mom. Your letter was right, my little girl would be exactly like her and in some ways she is. Although, there are moments when I see traits of Kendall in her, too. I happen to think she's a mix of all of us, even you Grandma."

Bianca swept a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear, unsure of whether or not she would be able to voice her thoughts out loud. Courage had always been one of her best qualities but at the present moment, she felt somewhat afraid, knowing that if she did say the words out loud, it would be real.

"I guess you're probably wondering why I'm here talking to you right now. You could always tell when something was bothering me," Bianca laughed softly. "You knew me so well, so maybe what I'm about to tell you won't really be surprising. I, um… I had always thought that I inherited your temperament, the patience and unconditional acceptance. It's not that I don't doubt that right now, because I'm still the same," she said, speaking as though she were trying to convince Mona if they were sitting next to each other at the present moment in time.

"But now, after being in a relationship with Maggie, I've come to realize that I'm just like Mom and Kendall. And I don't know why I'm saying this, but it scares me a bit." Another tear streamed down her cheek, her hand quickly swiping the moisture away. "You probably know by now what's going on. Myrtle did always say you were looking down on all of us," she stopped again then finally voiced her fears out loud. "What if I've ruined my relationship with Maggie? All because I wanted security, something to hold onto, I think I might have lost her."

The breeze blew softly again, only this time it felt slightly warmer than before causing Bianca to take note of it. For a brief moment, she felt a presence around her, wondering if it was a sign from her grandmother, telling her it was okay to be scared. Smiling slightly, she ran her hand along the headstone again.

"I love her so much, you know. She's everything to me and if I ever lost her, I…" voice trembling a little, "I just want to be happy and I'm the most happy with her." Bianca took a deep breath and stood up. "I guess I know what I need to do. I need Maggie in my life and I'll do whatever it takes work things out with her."

--

I'm sorry that I hurt you. It's something I must live with everyday. And all the pain I put you through, I wish that I could take it all away. And be the one who catches all your tears. That's why I need you to hear.

I found a reason for me. To change how I used to be. A reason to start over new, and the reason is you.

Maggie sat at the boathouse and checked her watch again. She was beginning to wonder if Erica was running late or maybe she'd misheard her and meant to meet at another spot in the park. Just as she was about to reach for her cell phone, she heard footsteps in the near distance, surmising Erica was on her way with Miranda.

Bianca rushed up the boathouse steps, out of breath. "Kendall, sorry I'm… Maggie…"

The blonde looked up and met her estranged lover's gaze. "I'm uh… I was supposed to meet your mother here. She said something about an emergency production meeting and needed someone to stay with Miranda."

"Miranda's with my mother right now. Kendall said she wanted to…" the realization dawned on Bianca. "I think we've been set up."

"Yeah, I think so, too," Maggie stood, biting down on her bottom lip. She walked toward the opposite end of the boathouse, turning her back to Bianca. Standing there, she inhaled slowly, trying not to let her emotions take over as the memory of the other night came rushing back to her.

Bianca walked over to Maggie, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Maggie, I…"

"Don't," the blonde kept her head down as she replied.

"Don't what?" the brunette asked.

"Don't apologize. It's all we've been doing lately and honestly, it's gotten us nowhere," Maggie shifted her body around, the hurt look on her face speaking volumes. Moisture pooled in the corners of her eyes, making every attempt to keep the tears from breaking free. "I just want to have my chance to say something for once. Is that okay with you?"

Bianca sat down on the bench, nodding her head. "Okay."

Maggie moved from her spot and sat on the wooden floor, her legs dangling over the edge, feet right just above the surface of the frozen lake. She looked down for a moment, taking this time to pull her thoughts together.

"You never gave me a chance to explain," Maggie began. Her shaky voice was filled with vulnerability. "All you've done is write me off, not once letting me get my own feelings out."

"Maggie-"

"No, this is my chance to talk. Please, Bianca, for once just hear me out."

Bianca agreed, keeping her eyes on Maggie who was seated on the floor and was now leaning against one of the wooden posts. Every fiber of her being wanted to simply reach out and pull the other woman into her arms, but she knew she couldn't… at least, not yet. For both their sakes, she remained quiet and gave Maggie her full attention, hoping that in the end, things would turn out for the better.

"Sometimes, I just wonder how much different my life would have been had I not skipped this town and moved to Paris with you." Chuckling under her breath, she was brought to one immediate thought. "Part of me thinks I probably would have ended up dead, considering the rampage Jonathan went on."

"Maggie, don't say that," Bianca was quick to speak, reminded of the horrific events of 2005.

Maggie turned her head, shrugging her shoulders indifferently. "Why shouldn't I? It's the God's honest truth," she said coldly. "It was only a matter of time until I'd find out about everything and the lunatic that he was."

"Maggie, I love you."

"No, don't say that. Don't say those three words right now."

"What? You've stopped loving me, now?"

"And there you go assuming again."

There was a sudden silence between them, both women realizing how even when they tried to have a decent conversation, it led them to disagree once again. Bianca and Maggie looked at each other for a long moment, their hurt and confusion all bundled in their facial expressions.

Bianca pressed a hand to her forehead. "What's happened to us?"

Maggie's head was down, her eyes closed, wanting to answer Bianca's question. Instead, she avoided it. "When I said that I finally kicked Cecelia out of my life, I didn't say she'd been a part of it after you left Paris. Since the day you walked out on me, on us, I spent every moment at home and whenever I wasn't at home, I was in class. Not once did I see Cecelia. The only time I saw her was the day I was leaving to fly here. She came by our place, wanting to apologize," Maggie explained. "I told her to get out of my life once and for all."

"And is she going to honor this final request?" Bianca asked.

Maggie chose not to reply the brunette's question, knowing full well the answer would make itself known in so many words soon enough. She pulled her legs close to her body and wrapped her arms tightly around them. "Every waking minute, I was thinking about you. Where did we go wrong? That question kept circling in my head."

"I don't know where we went wrong," Bianca's reply came as a low whisper.

"I wish I knew. During those moments when I was able to take my mind off of you, I drowned myself in class, but it didn't do me any good. I didn't have the one person I counted on to give me a confidence boost whenever I needed one."

"Maggie, you've never needed me for that. You know full well that you're capable of achieving anything."

The blonde shook her head. "You don't get it. I need you. I've always needed you." She sighed, a shuddery breath threatening to turn into a sob. "I need you because you're the one who makes me matter. You make me feel like I mean something in this crazy world," looking towards the frozen lake. "You're the one who didn't need me."

Bianca quickly moved off the bench, sitting down at the edge next to Maggie. "What do you mean, by that?" her brow wrinkled, wondering where that assumption came from. "For the past year and a half, you and I built a life together."

"Yeah, a life that I managed to wreck."

"Maggie, stop. We can fix this."

"No, I get it now, you were right. We can't go back to the way things were. We can't slap a band-aid on our relationship and hope it gets better," Maggie turned her head, Bianca's pain filled eyes staring back at her. "Somewhere along the way, we lost touch on what it means to love one another. And if we're going to attempt to salvage what's left, I think that's what we need to work on the most."

Bianca reached for Maggie's hand, holding her gaze. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Maggie's voice cracked. She felt a tear stream down her cheek. "I love you so much, it hurts. And maybe, spending some time apart is the best thing for both of us."

Speechless, Bianca sat back, the breath knocked out of her lungs. This was certainly not what she expected to hear. "Oh," she managed to squeak out. "Time apart? But what do you call the last two months?" Completely confused and blindsided, to say the least.

"The last two months was us running from our problems, avoiding what went wrong in our relationship."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I'm not talking about not seeing each other again, Bianca," Maggie whispered, her grip on Bianca's hands tightening as she pulled her closer, letting the brunette rest her head on her shoulder. Wrapping an arm around her, she reached up and brushed her hand through Bianca's soft hair. "I could never let you go. But we never had the chance to be two people after we moved to Paris. We became a couple so quick that we never got the chance to be just Bianca and just Maggie. I think in order for us to be stronger together, being apart is the best thing right now."

Bianca buried herself in Maggie's embrace, relishing it for every bit it was worth. She let the tears fall from her eyes. "If it's the best thing, then why does it hurt so much, right now?"

"Because we're not the same two people anymore. We've changed and we've grown," Maggie held Bianca in her arms, her cheek resting against Bianca's head. She gazed out at the sun setting along the horizon. "It also hurts because we thought that nothing could come between us and something did. Now, instead of giving up, we're going to work at this. And in time, I have every faith that our love will be that much stronger, if not more than before."

"Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"I just need to know one thing." Bianca was almost hesitant to ask, but for her own good, it was something she needed to do.

Maggie already knew what Bianca was going to say. Without letting her pose the question, she quickly replied. "Cecelia is out of my life…our lives for good. She's transferred to another program, one that distances her from me in every possible way. I assure you of that."

"I trust you."

They sat silently for the next few moments, watching as the sun disappeared, giving way to the early night sky. Maggie continued to hold onto Bianca, not once letting her embrace on her loosen. Feeling a lump form in her throat, she took a deep breath and hoped Bianca would understand what she was about to say next.

"I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow," whispering the words softly.

Bianca's breath suddenly caught in her throat. "Already?"

"Baby, there's nothing left for me here, except for you and Miranda. And if we're going to spend time apart, then it's best I head back to Paris."

"I understand. Do you need me to call the Cambias pilot?"

Maggie shook her head. "No, it's okay. Anna took care of my plane ticket. She's also letting me stay with her for the meantime."

"You're moving out?"

"I want to do this right, Bianca. We need to start over somehow and I think my staying with Anna for a little while is the first step.

Bianca sighed, wanting to fight Maggie on this but she knew deep down it as for the best. If they were going make the effort to rebuild their relationship, she'd do whatever was needed. "You'll say goodbye to Miranda, right?"

"Of course I will," Maggie smiled. "I'd never leave without saying goodbye to the munchkin."

Shifting slightly, Bianca lifted her head and looked into Maggie's deep brown eyes. Inches away from her face, she leaned forward, meeting her lips for a sweet, meaningful kiss. And like the one they shared in the hotel room at the Valley Inn, neither of them fought it and simply reveled in the moment.

Bianca pulled away first, foreheads rested against one another, her hand brushing against Maggie's cheek. "I will never stop loving you," she achingly whispered. "Never."

--

Kendall and Erica stood by the doorway of the living room and looked on. One would describe the look on their faces as mortified, silently berating themselves for ruining such a good thing. Yes, this would be the last time Kendall and Erica would team up for the greater good of fixing a relationship.

"We messed up," Kendall muttered.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Erica agreed.

"But, they look kinda… happy, though."

"Weird."

Kendall tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Double weird. Hmm, well maybe we did do something good and we just haven't realized it yet."

"Maybe," Erica said, leaving Kendall's side so she could say goodbye to Maggie.

"Yes, I will give Anna your regards," Maggie looked up at Jack and smiled.

Jack returned the gesture, giving her a hug. "Good. And tell her that if she ever wants to come back to town, there will always be a job waiting for her here."

Maggie laughed, "Okay. I will. But I'm not sure she'll jump at it." She felt someone tap her shoulder and turned around. Before she could say anything, Erica wrapped her arms around her. "Um… I don't know what there is to say, except, thank you."

"Anytime you need to talk, don't hesitate to call," Erica spoke softly into her ear.

Maggie held back a small chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind." She let go of Erica and watched Kendall step forward. "So, um." She wasn't quite sure what to say. Suddenly, she was pulled into the skinny woman's arms. "Ooookay."

"I'm sorry for ripping into you. Just know that I did it out of love," Kendall said with the utmost sincerity.

Pulling away, Maggie watched as Kendall, Erica and Jack stepped aside. Bianca and Miranda coming forward, the little girl immediately rushing into her arms. Maggie scooped the child up off the ground and kissed her forehead.

"This isn't goodbye, okay?" she said, fighting back tears. "I want you to remember what we talked about last night."

Miranda cupped Maggie's face with her hands, using her thumbs to turn up the corners of her mouth. "No cry, Maggie. Maggie, no go bye-bye." She sloppily kissed the blonde on the cheek. "I wub you lots."

"I love you, too, Munchie," Maggie whispered. She brushed aside a stray wisp of light brown hair from the child's face. "Be good for your Mommy, okay?"

"Otay, Maggie."

"And I'll see you soon," kissing her on the forehead one last time before handing her over to Kendall. She picked her up bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder and looked toward Bianca. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Bianca grabbed her purse and walked toward the door. Opening it, she followed Maggie out and accompanied her into the car that would take them to the airport.

Inside the house, Kendall stood by the window with Miranda, the both of them watching as the car pulled away. Miranda wrapped her tiny arms around Kendall's neck, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Maggie go bye bye," Miranda said wistfully, a single tear streaming down her cheek.

--

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. American Airlines, Flight 283 with non-stop service to Paris, France will be boarding shortly at Gate 3."

Maggie turned to Bianca, noticing the sad smile on her face. "I uh… I guess this is it."

"Yeah," Bianca's voice cracked. She rubbed her eyes, her emotions beginning to get the better of her. She felt a warm hand on her cheek, placing her own palm on top of it. "I'm just… I'm going to miss you, so much."

Maggie dropped her bag and cupped Bianca's face with her hands. "And I'm going to miss you, too. But you need to trust me. This is the best thing for the both of us."

"I know."

A muffled voice came on the loudspeaker. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to American Airlines, Flight 283 with non-stop service to Paris, France. A this time, we shall now begin boarding passengers seated in Zone 6."

Maggie pulled out her boarding pass, checking to see if she was in the corresponding zone. Looking up at Bianca, she was now the one wearing a sad smile. "I should go," reaching down to grab the strap of her bag.

Before she was able to slip it over her shoulder, Bianca took hold of her hands.

They stared at each other for a long moment, no longer able to hide their emotions. Without thought, they leaned forward simultaneously, their lips pressed together for one more kiss before parting ways. And although they both knew it wasn't going to be their last, just being able to have this one moment was enough to re-instill their faith in one another. That someday soon, they would be together again.

"We are now boarding passengers for Zones 5 & 6."

Maggie reluctantly pulled away, slipping the strap of her bag over her shoulder. She gazed lovingly into Bianca's eyes. "When you're ready to come back to Paris, I'll be there, waiting for you. We're going to work this out."

Bianca held onto Maggie's hand, bringing it to her lips. "I'm not giving up on you or on us."

With a gentle smile, Maggie brushed her fingers against Bianca's cheek. "And you'll never lose me, I promise."

--

Bianca stood by the window, staring out at the dark night. Arriving back at the house only an hour ago, she found herself unable to move from her spot. Her eyes were drawn toward the night sky, gazing up at the stars that were visible.

Part of her knew this was for the best, but she couldn't help but feel an ache in her heart. Feeling a tug of her blouse, she looked down and found Miranda standing by her side.

The little girl held her arms out, yearning to be picked up. Her request immediately fulfilled, she draped an arm over her mother's shoulder, resting her head there. "Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Bianca held Miranda in her arms, the both of them now staring out the window.

"Wanna go home, Mommy. Wanna go home," Miranda pleaded, hoping her mother would grant her this one wish.

"Listen to your daughter, Binks," Kendall spoke up, standing at the entryway to the living room. "Go back to Paris, you know you want to. Just because the both of you agreed to spend some time apart, it doesn't mean staying here in Pine Valley."

Bianca went to sit down on the couch, placing Miranda on her lap. "What do you say, sweetie? Do you want to go back to Paris?"

Miranda nodded vigorously. "Go back to Pah-wis, Mommy."

Kendall joined Bianca on the couch. She could sense the apprehension coming from her baby sister. "It'll work out, Binks. Have faith in Maggie and most of all, have faith in yourself," she spoke reassuringly. "The both of you have already taken the first step. Time apart is good, but at least give Miranda a chance to be close to Maggie, even if the two of you aren't exactly back together yet."

Bianca stood up, still holding Miranda in her arms. She gave her sister a lopsided smile, motioning toward the staircase. "Think you can help me pack? I need to call the Cambias pilot and file a flight plan."

Kendall couldn't help but grin, taking Miranda from her. "Sure thing. You make the call. I'll start throwing everything… I mean, packing your suitcases." She headed towards the stairs, setting Miranda down on the floor and letting her rush up the second floor.

"Looks like Mother and I did do something right for once," still wearing a grin as she climbed the steps. She stopped suddenly, a realization dawning on her. "Oh my God, Kane women actually fixing love lives for once. I hope Hell isn't freezing over."

-end chapter-